CFI Canada's mission is to provide education and training to the public in the application of skeptical, secular, rational and humanistic inquiry through conferences, symposia, lectures, published works and the maintenance of a library.

Educational Programs and Services

Science and Philosophy Book Clubs

Living Without Religion Support Groups

LWR is a peer-facilitated program to help individuals cope with the challenges of leaving their religion. LWR groups currently meet in Toronto, Ottawa and a new program will soon be available in the Okanagan.

Café Skeptique and Pub Events

Facilitated discussions in cafes and pubs in towns across Canada. Check our calendar.

Counter-apologetics and Counter-Pseudoscience Debater Clubs

Gather with like-minded debaters and to discuss tactics, facts and trends in countering misinformation and dogmatism.

Science and Secularism Speakers!

CFI Canada is proud to offer a wide variety of speakers through our branches. CFIC members are provide advance notice and special pricing on CFIC speaker events and book launches. Following are a few of the speaker events that CFIC has hosted at our branches; for upcoming speakers and events, visit our Upcoming Events Page, or view our calendar of events.

September 17, 2015: The Clergy Project’s Catherine Dunphy launches her book From Apostle to Apostate at the CFI Canada offices.

June 22, 2015: Author Tony Ortega visited with the Toronto Branch with his new book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely; along for the visit was Paulette Cooper, the subject of the book. Cooper and Ortega shared the story of the Church of Scientology’s decades-long harassment of Ms. Cooper. Over 80 people attended an informative and engaging event!

June 10, 2015: Jerry Coyne spoke at our Toronto Branch during the Canadian launch of his book “Faith vs Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible”. Over 150 people enjoyed Jerry’s talk at the OISE Auditorium and enjoyed a book signing opportunity following the event. While he was in Toronto, Jerry was able to squeeze in an interview with TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paiken. See Jerry’s analysis of the show. Coyne also spoke about his visit to CFIC on his visit to Toronto here and here.

May 14, 2015: Historian and Bigfooter-enthusiast, Jarret Ruminski spoke to CFI Canada members about recent Bigfooter culture and the broader subject of crypto-zoology. Jarret’s blog That Devil History explains how politics, history, public policy and culture collide to blow your mind. Jarret’s talk is available on CFI Canada’s Extraordinary Claims website.

March 8, April 15 & May 6 2015: Launching his book “Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything”, Tim Caulfield spoke to CFIC audiences in Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa. The speaking engagement, “When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash” gave attendees an extremely informative take on everything from holistic medicines to fad diets, from the mouth of the acclaimed Timothy Caulfield, the Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta. The event was a single feature speaking engagement appealed to everyone who interested in critical thought, the health debate or science in general.

November 2, 2014: Penn Jillette spoke to a massive CFI Canada audience in Toronto with his book “Every Day is an Athiest Holiday”.

May 29, ,2014: Atheist Alliance International president David Silverman spoke to CFI Canada in Calgary about Firebrand Atheism.

March 6 & October 2014: Dr. Richard Carrier is a popular philosopher, historian, lecturer, author and debater on the subject of the historicity of Jesus Christ. In 2014, Dr. Carrier visited CFIC’s Ottawa, Okanagan, Calgary, Saskatoon and Regina branches for a series of lectures and debates.

January 19, 2014:Peter Boghossian, author of “A Manual For Creating Atheists” spoke to CFIC members in Calgary.

May 1, 2013: During the launch of their film, The Unbelievers, Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss attended a CFIC fundraising reception in Toronto.

Secular Seminars Series

The Centre for Inquiry Canada is proud to launch a new collaborative education offering called the Secular Seminars Series. This series will be focussed on providing detailed history, facts and perspectives on the most pressing secular issues facing Canada. The inaugural seminar was held on October 21, 2014 at the CFIC’s Toronto office. The subject discussed was Prayers in Public Spaces.

The series is designed as a facilitated and collaborative roundtable discussion. Participants are asked to complete pre- and post- seminar self-evaluations, participate in group dialogue and contribute information or perspectives to be included in updates of the series material. Sessions will be facilitated by a CFIC volunteer.

To arrange a seminar in your community, please contact us at: education@centreforinquiry.ca